Mystery in the Garden: What Are We Even Growing?

When a generous donation of mystery plants arrived at our school — unlabeled and unidentifiable — our outdoor classroom turned into a full-blown botanical detective case. In this episode of the Teach Outdoors Podcast, I share the hilarious, humbling, and deeply rewarding journey our students and I took to figure out: What exactly is growing in our garden?

From digging into field guides and sketching garden maps, to daily replantings thanks to curious crows (yes, really), and eventually calling in gardening expert Megan Zeni for backup — this story is full of inquiry, problem-solving, and lots of muddy hands.

We talk about:

• What real-world inquiry looks like outdoors
• How students designed crow-proof garden netting
• What it means to be a teacher who learns alongside your students
• And why not knowing all the answers might be the best thing for your classroom

This garden mystery reminded us what it means to be observers, stewards, and curious participants in an ever-changing ecosystem. Tune in for a mix of laughter, learning, and leafy green chaos.

🎧 Whether you're a seasoned outdoor educator or just planting your first school garden, this episode will leave you feeling inspired (and maybe slightly suspicious of your local crows).